


Nothing like The Princess Bride

by twoshipsinthenight



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Bonding, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Soul Bond, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-22
Updated: 2015-10-22
Packaged: 2018-04-27 15:40:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5054413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twoshipsinthenight/pseuds/twoshipsinthenight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Like it says on the tin. Hockey, soul bonds, soul marks, angst, true love, miracles...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introduction

This is a beautiful story. This story is about love, and bonds between people, and belonging. But most of all, this story is about soul mates. Not the ‘typical’ kind of soul mates, mind you – not the kind you hear about in fairy tales… No, no, no. This is a REAL story – at least, it really COULD have happened. 

Once, long ago, in a far- off land, where grown men were paid a living to skate on ice and play hockey in front of tens of thousands of people, there lived a young boy. His name (as his friends and family called him) was Jamie. He dreamt every night of playing ice hockey on that big stage, and by day he fiercely practiced, giving his life over to his burning desire. 

His parents worried that he was not leaving himself enough time or space to develop other interests. He did not seem interested in dating, for example, though as he grew into his tall, hefty body he was considered very desirable by many. He did have many friends, but they were all met and made through hockey. His parents urged him to branch out, to test other waters; so, wishing not to distress them, he did end up trying other sports. He found that he could also love baseball, even football – but yet he never faltered from hockey, his first and truest love.

Jamie had an older brother, Jordie, who was very close to Jamie. Rather than let any distance grow between them as Jamie spent more and more time on hockey, Jordie learned the game, picking the skills up quickly that were half-forgotten from informal lessons as a young child – pond hockey was an integral part of their local culture in Canada, after all. The brothers were inseparable, and quickly became known as a unit – the Benn brothers.

Now, let me give you some insight into the inner workings of this alternate universe. It is a bit different from ours, you see, and has all the markings of something fantastical. But wait! Before you go dismissing this tale as something like a yarn, made-up, hogwash – turn your ear a bit closer, closer yet, now, and listen. Love is fantasy. There! Why do you frown? No, you say? Love is real? Then you believe in the fantastical, and therefore, you already live in this alternate universe! Well, come along then, we haven’t got all day. Back to it, where was I… Hmm, yes…

The Benn brothers had a bond, a unique bond, one that could never be broken, and was burned into each boy’s soul. These types of bonds are not within one when one is born – not like a true love soul mate bond – but rather, they are forged, like iron. The brothers fought for each other, and were truly seen by and truly saw each other, and thus formed a love and belonging so deep it was beyond the descriptive power of any known language. It was able only to be written in the language of the world, and so, the brothers were marked in that language. It manifested for them in a way appropriate to their bond – a simple word, BROTHERS, slowly coming into stark relief on each boy’s arm. Identical soul marks - a rare occurrence, but rarer still to be seen outside of destined soul mates. Though the language of the world is a mystery to man, it was generally understood among the people that matching soul marks could only form if a bond was equally and unconditionally reciprocated by both marked. More often than not these types of bonds formed under times of great stress – in war, or as prisoners of war – or in prolonged times of great cooperation and interdependence, such as shipmates out at sea. They used to be much more common, but as the modern world becomes more and more individualistic and less community-based, these types of bonds have become exceedingly rare. And in families, where competition between siblings is often favored over an atmosphere of trust, authenticity, and vulnerability, these bonds had become virtually unheard of, even in cases of identical twins. 

So the Benn brothers were known as an anomaly. They mostly did not mind; Jamie, especially, was content knowing that he always had his big brother. They were slapped with derogatory labels like ‘codependent’, even ‘incestuous’, but they knew the truth in what they had, and they knew that the hateful language came from a place of deep envy and scarcity within the terrorizers. Before too long, Jamie caught up to his protective older brother in size and strength, eventually surpassing Jordie to everyone’s great surprise. Though he sometimes appeared meek due to his natural shyness and dislike of crowds, Jamie had a quiet aura of self-trust and integrity that commanded respect, and before the brothers were halfway through high school, the negative labels had turned into awed whispers like ‘prodigies’, ‘superstars’, and ‘soul marked’. The last was always said with an almost reverent tone, very differently from the slang word ‘Marked’ which could mean many things, not all of them proud. 

So it was that Jamie and Jordie ended up playing for the most prestigious hockey league on their continent, many would say even in the world. Drafted by the same team, they were welcomed with open arms to a franchise that would quietly build a strong, new culture around them. Jamie shone softly from the heart of this emerging team, flying just under the radar with brilliant but largely unheralded moments in the league spotlight. 

Content to be out of the public’s keen and overzealous eye, but wanting to push his team ever further towards success and their common goal of creating a winning culture, Jamie entered yet another summer of missing the playoffs feeling a sharp, throbbing sense of frustration and guilt. He felt the weight of the franchise’s expectations on his shoulders, although he was not (yet) captain. The team would be choosing a new captain in the next few months and Jamie was the most likely choice, according to everyone and their mother. It was something Jamie would accept gladly if the team thought he would be the leader they needed. But Jamie did not dwell on decisions that were out of his control. He had power over how he played, the kind of person he portrayed to the media, in the locker room, on the ice and on the streets, but he couldn’t make choices that weren’t his to make. And Jamie had never been one to put on a mask, bend over backwards to please anyone, or to be anything but honest with who he was at all times. Some people didn’t like it at all – it made them feel itchy in their own skin – but the right people, the people Jamie cared about, loved him all the more for it. If he turned out not to be the captain that this franchise wanted, he wouldn’t ever try to force a different decision. Although Jamie wasn’t religious, nor did he really consider himself deeply spiritual, life had built in him a certain faith in the way things went when he followed his heart and worked hard.

A phone call later that summer would change Jamie’s life, although he didn’t realize the far-reaching impact at the time. A heart-stopping, blockbuster trade had been made, and the franchise leaders wanted Jamie to be the one to help their newly acquired star player to acclimate to life in Dallas. This player was another prodigy, one who had won the Stanley Cup as a teenager, who had exceeded all expectations before being slowly ostracized by his team and franchise. Jamie had been vaguely aware of the drama surrounding Tyler Seguin as he was made more and more the whipping boy of the Boston Bruins, but he’d been too busy with his own struggles to pay much direct attention. They’d spent a few days getting to know each other, casually, during an All-Star game over a year ago, but hadn’t kept in contact after that. Jamie remembered that cocky, kind-of gangly nineteen-year-old, with the huge eyes and blinding smile, and his shiny façade of over-confidence. He was pretty sure most people could see right through that façade, but he didn’t think Tyler knew that. Nevertheless, he fell hopelessly for Tyler’s everything in one fell swoop, before sternly reminding himself that that could never happen, and that it was simple infatuation. They’d been friendly, sticking together throughout the contest, but it had not progressed beyond joking and sharing shallow confidences.

Now, what, Jamie would be Tyler’s chauffeur, guide, chaperone? Tyler would hate that, Jamie was sure of it. From the little he’d absorbed of Tyler’s last couple of years in Boston, he’d been portrayed to and by the media as wild, overly fond of parties and booze and attractive people. Jamie remembered him trying too hard, wanting to fit in, and using alcohol as a social lubricant. He wasn’t sure how much had changed in the year and a half, but he was willing to bet that Tyler would rebel if Jamie acted like his superior in any way.

Jamie sighed and ran a hand through his long, shaggy hair, staring at the now silent phone in his palm. He trusted his management, but he really hoped this change would not bring any discord to the locker room or to the ice. He knew that not belonging in yet another franchise and team would be traumatic, possibly unbearable to the young Tyler that he’d met. That Tyler was incredibly sensitive under the surface and had one of the biggest, most giving hearts of anyone Jamie had ever known. While Jamie took a while to warm up to anything or anyone, Tyler was the kind of person who jumped in without a parachute, singing joyously to the wind with his eyes smiling to the heavens, not knowing (maybe not even really caring?) whether he was hurtling to his death or coming up flying on angel wings.


	2. Chapter 2

Jamie could barely see the appropriate terminal signs in the glaring Texas sunlight. The summer heat shimmered off the asphalt, blurring the roads ahead and causing strange mirages of standing pools of glassy, reflective water. He finally pulled up to the right gate, and began scanning the faces of everyone waiting curbside.

“There, Chubbs –“ Jordie waved a hand from the backseat, where he’d selfishly taken a nap for most of their drive to the airport. “See – he has a backwards hat and the inked arm.”

Jamie did see Tyler now, slowing to a stop a few feet from the man. And he was a man – still hanging on to a few vestiges of baby fat around his jawline, but undeniably aged from the teenager Jamie still had pictured in his mind’s eye. He wondered for a fraction of a second if Tyler would recognize him, but then Tyler was grinning that same, familiar million-watt smile and hauling his full luggage carrier closer to Jamie’s truck. Jordie hopped out of the backseat and Jamie leaned over to pop open the passenger door before quickly jumping out and walking around to help Tyler load his luggage.

“Hey, man, it’s good to see you again.” Tyler was still beaming, his eyes doing a rapid, barely perceptible scan of Jamie’s body before he reached out for a one armed back-slapping hug. Jordie winked at Jamie behind Tyler’s back, and Jamie shot him a puzzled but severe look before Tyler released him and got back to piling his luggage into the truck bed.

“Man, I always wish I packed more efficiently, but leaving it to the last minute every time means I end up bringing way too much junk when I travel off-season.” Tyler sighed, scratching the back of his head in a way that looked nervous and self-conscious and suddenly made Jamie merge this man with the adolescent Tyler he’d met in Ottawa.

“You should see Jamie’s version of packing – he ends up stealing half of my clothes whenever we travel because he hates taking more than one bag but always forgets half his shit.” Jordie laughed loudly, slapping Tyler on the back when the man laughed with him.

Jamie rolled his eyes at the both of them. “Shut up Darth.” He put on a long-suffering look, but he could see the way Tyler had relaxed during the friendly banter. Once Tyler had hopped into the passenger seat of Jamie’s truck, Jamie gave his brother a friendly punch to the shoulder, knowing he’d understand the implied gratitude.

Tyler was only in town for a few days this first time, to make media appearances and get necessary paperwork taken care of. He decided to lease an apartment in the same building as Jamie and Jordie, after spending more time in their apartment than in his hotel room. He claimed he just hated apartment shopping and this was easier, but the brothers could tell that he needed to be around people, and that the loneliness of living by himself would be assuaged a little by having the two of them so close.

Every night when Jamie drove Tyler back to his hotel, he could feel that old attraction to the man building up again, this time feeling like a slow burn, deeper, more persistent somehow than the flare of overwhelming want he’d felt when they'd first met. He tried to ignore it the best he could – Tyler needed a friend, someone to trust, to lean on and joke around with – not someone with an unrequited crush to make things awkward and complicated.

But he couldn’t stop the affection from making his voice softer whenever Tyler confessed his fears, or talked about how much he missed his dog, or excitedly made predictions for their first time playing together. Tyler was absolutely convinced that they’d develop beautiful chemistry on the ice, admitting to Jamie that he’d spent the last month going through video and watching just about every goal Jamie had ever scored, watching his technique and how he liked to position himself, where he passed to and how he used the ice. Tyler would gesture with his hands as he became more animated, demonstrating the way his style and Jamie’s style would complement each other’s, and Jamie was absolutely captivated.

Tyler quickly became a fixture in Jamie’s life, eating every meal possible with the Benns, texting Jamie and Jordie when he wasn’t with them, sending Jamie pictures of his dog, Marshall, to ‘introduce’ them, and taking naps on their couch while Jamie looked on helplessly. Jordie made endless jokes about his baby brother’s “puppy dog” expressions once Tyler was safely back in his hotel room each night, but Jamie could only shrug, knowing there wasn’t anything to be done about it.

When Tyler headed back to Toronto to spend time with family before going to Boston one last time to get ready for his actual move, Jamie was shocked at how lost he felt without Tyler’s constant presence around him. He tried to talk some sense into his forlorn heart, but realized he’d just have to ride it out when even Tyler’s frequent and hilarious texts didn’t ease the ache. Jordie tried to soothe his mopey brother with some video game marathons, an impromptu BBQ with some of their friends, and Jamie’s favorite ice cream, but eventually resigned himself to the fact that he’d have to do the most difficult thing of all.

Jordie plopped down on the couch next to where Jamie was slumped, dispassionately flipping through channels as he ate some pretzels. Jamie could feel Jordie’s stare boring a hole into his brain, but he hoped that by ignoring him he’d stop and leave him to wallow.

“I’m not leaving, Chubbs, not until you talk to me.” Jordie reached over and snagged a handful of pretzels from the bowl, crunching them loudly as he stared even more pointedly at Jamie’s profile.

“Don’t wanna.” Jamie was aware that he sounded like a petulant child in this instant, but he really felt like pouting and being depressed for a few days, and didn’t see anything wrong with that at all.

“Look, Jamie, I get that this is hard for you. But I need you to tell me about it – at the very least so that I can understand what exactly is going on in that shaggy head of yours.” Jordie had a bit of a pleading note in his voice this time, enough to make Jamie pause in his automatic channel surfing and shoot a quick look at Jordie out of the side of his eyes. 

“I don’t think telling you about it is going to make anything better, Jordie.”

“Maybe not, but we always tell each other everything. You don’t have to suffer through this alone.”

Jamie surprised himself by letting out a little sniffle at that. Jordie always had a way of getting to the real issues of things, and that was how he felt – alone and doomed to always be alone – because he certainly couldn’t be with Tyler, not the way he really wanted.

“Okay.” Jamie sighed and turned off the television, shifting his body on the couch so that he could look at Jordie. Jordie nodded at him, calmly eating his pretzels as he waited for Jamie to talk.

Jamie took a deep breath, straightening his shoulders and looking down at his hands. “I know that you know I like Tyler.” Jordie nodded, waiting for Jamie to continue.

“But, I don’t think that is what he needs, and I can’t do that to him. I have to be his friend, and only his friend, not some teammate with an awkward crush on him. I mean, I bet he gets that all the time, and I don’t want it to be weird with him, you know? He’s really special – he’s got the biggest heart of anyone I have ever met. I don’t want to make him feel bad for not returning my feelings, and I don’t want to have that kind of history with him if we’re going to be playing together for a long time. He can also be super insecure, and kind-of a jerk at times, and doesn’t always think before he talks. I really don’t want him turning this… obsession I’m developing into some kind of running joke.” Jamie took another deep breath, and watched Jordie’s face carefully as he thought about what Jamie had said.

Jordie stroked his beard, eyes a bit distant, and then refocused on Jamie before he spoke. “I want you to know that first and foremost, I think you two could be really great together.” He held up his hand to stop Jamie before he could interject. “No, look, I hear your reasons for not doing anything about your feelings, and I’ll support you in that. I might rib you about it because frankly, Chubbs, it’s stupidly adorable to watch you two all googly-eyed around each other, but I won’t say anything about your feelings to Tyler.”  
Jamie leaned back again at that, feeling the tension in his back ease up just a little bit.

“But, baby brother, have you seen how many marks he has?”

At this Jamie frowned, drawing his eyebrows together in confusion. “You mean his tattoos?”

“That’s what I thought at first too, but once when you were out getting some take-out I asked him where he’d gotten them. He got this dopey look on his face – yeah, you know what I’m talking about – and he said that some of them had come in as early as middle school, but most of the others had been in Juniors and after.”

Jamie’s mouth was open, and he knew he looked aghast, but Jordie just calmly ate a couple more pretzels as he waited for Jamie to digest that information.

“He – but – there’s so many!”

Jordie nodded. “I know. I didn’t get a chance to ask him any more because his phone rang and then he was talking to his mom for a while.”

Jamie swallowed, his mouth feeling too dry. What could that mean? How could Tyler have that many marks? He was younger than Jamie, not even twenty-one yet, and to have so many bonds written on his skin – Jamie couldn’t fathom it. It was extremely rare to encounter someone who had more than a handful of marks, and not that rare for people to have no marks at all. It confused Jamie, and he wasn’t sure what to think. Surely, it showed the incredible heart that Tyler possessed, loving others so deeply that he manifested his commitment outwardly. But wasn’t it exhausting to maintain that many bonds? What if some of them were one-sided? Were any of them soul marks, like Jamie had with Jordie? Had Tyler already found his soul mate? Wouldn’t he have said something if he had, though? Jamie tried to squash the tremor of terror and pain that shook his heart as he thought of that possibility. He hugged his knees to his chest and looked back up at Jordie.

“How can I even compete with that?” the words came out as a whisper, unintentionally raspy from Jamie’s still too-dry mouth. 

Jordie looked understanding, but firmly shook his head and reached over to put his hand on Jamie’s arm, squeezing lightly before letting go. “There is no competing with someone’s past, baby brother. It is what it is. Tyler is special, like you said. He’s going to figure out his own way, just like you.”

Jamie nodded, still trying to wrap his mind around the person he knew as Tyler and adding this new, bewildering information into that picture in his head. He wanted to call Tyler right now, demand explanations for every mark, and he wanted to crawl into a hole in the ground, ashamed for ever thinking he could love Tyler better than anyone else. He’d do neither, of course, but he felt shaken as he stood up from the couch, handing the half-full bowl of pretzels to Jordie.

“I’m going to bed,” he said, clasping Jordie’s shoulder in their way of saying an unspoken thank you. “Good night.”

“’Night, Chubbs.” 

Jamie heard the tv quietly flick on behind him as he slowly made his way down the hall. He hoped when he woke up in the morning, his world wouldn’t feel quite so upside-down as it did right now.


End file.
